Sharkmob has introduced Exoborne, an open-world extraction shooter set in a post-apocalyptic United States facing extreme weather conditions.

Unveiled at The Game Awards 2023, Exoborne is in development for both PC and consoles, although no release date has been disclosed. Unlike free-to-play games, Exoborne is a premium title featuring a narrative, live-service components, and regular content updates.

The game emphasizes open-world PvP with PvE elements, challenging players to gather gear before extraction. The primary focus is on survival against environmental challenges and enemies rather than eliminating other players.

Exoborne excludes RPG mechanics and prioritizes loadouts and advanced suits called Exo-Rigs, each offering distinct abilities. Players enhance their power by utilizing Exo-Rigs, acquiring superior gear, and constructing an ideal loadout.

A first-person shooter, Exoborne emphasizes verticality, facilitated by tools like a grapple hook and parachute for enhanced exploration and combat. The weather, including tornadoes, sinkholes, and landslides, serves both as a threat and a strategic element.

The game incorporates quests, story elements, and public events, encouraging solo or cooperative play with friends. Set in a near-future Earth, Exoborne narrates a catastrophic event thwarted by Project Rebirth, which ultimately failed, resulting in an apocalyptic scenario with elemental chaos.

Players assume the role of Reborn survivors equipped with Exo-Rigs, tasked with facing traitorous Reborn, bandits, remnants of Rebirth, and natural forces in the open world of Colton County. Sharkmob plans to expand Exoborne post-launch with additional stories and content.

Q&A With Sharkmob’s Lead

Now I was fortunate enough to be able to be a part of a Q&A featuring Petter Mannerfelt, co-founder of Sharkmob where we got his thoughts on the new IP and he shared his insight on how the game plans to set itself apart in the extraction shooter genre.

Note: The answers have been edited for clarity.

Why an Extraction shooter?

Petter: We genuinely enjoy playing this type of game, and if you examine our history prior to Sharkmob, you’ll notice that it’s a genre with features that we’ve consistently incorporated into our previous game projects. In essence, it’s a genre we’re deeply passionate about.

What sets Exoborne apart from other extraction shooters?

Petter: We aimed to create a game that incorporates significant verticality, a concept we personally enjoy. The goal was to seamlessly blend the use of Exo-Rigs with vertical elements to enhance combat fluidity. Additionally, we explored integrating the Forces of Nature feature into this synergy. In the end, we are pleased with how smoothly everything combines to achieve the desired fluid experience.

Exoborne seems to take inspiration from The Division’s Dark Zone, but doesn’t that concept risk being watered down with an open-world structure?

Petter: I believe the inclusion of an open world introduces an additional dynamic layer. This feature allows players to engage in open-world gameplay, exploring landscapes alongside their party and friends. Through this, we’ve managed to maintain the concept’s engagement and fun factor without diluting its essence.

What impact will the Forces of Nature have on the Open World?

Petter: It will impact your immediate combat abilities and your movement during combat. For instance, during a storm, there are compelling reasons to take the risk of entering it because there are valuable items within the storm that can significantly contribute to your overall progress in the long run.

Some Unreal Engine 5 games are struggling. How is it going for Exoborn?

Petter: It’s funny, adjusting to new engines typically requires some time and effort. Despite many other companies facing challenges in adapting, we’re doing quite well. We’re actively engaged in the process, enjoying ourselves every day, and overall, things are going smoothly for us.

What kind of players do you expect to attract to the game?

Petter: We aim to appeal to a specific player demographic with our game – those who enjoy open-world PvP. While there are numerous open-world PvP games available, we believe our game stands out due to its excellent shooting mechanics, engaging in-game activities, and strong social aspects. Players can enjoy the game socially by teaming up with friends or discovering new players to play alongside. We’ve taken special care to ensure the game is not overly challenging, particularly for new players. We’ve implemented a gradual learning curve to ease players into the experience, making it enjoyable and accessible to all.

How big will be the open world?

Petter: We aim to provide players with an immersive open-world experience. When delving into the intricacies of open-world design, we focus more on the play style and overall player experience rather than just the size of the world. Our goal is to ensure a balance between expansiveness and engagement. In this open world, players should be able to see distant points of interest, feel the allure of exploration, and encounter various attractions that draw them in while also encountering deterrents that guide them away from certain areas. We strive for a sense of scale that feels substantial without being overly compressed. Additionally, we plan to offer different maps, each providing unique and varied experiences, including some with a more compressed design.

Will the gunplay be more realistic like Escape from Tarkov?

Petter: We aim to deliver a traditional AAA shooting experience, something familiar to players. Unlike Escape from Tarkov, our focus is not on a highly realistic or simulation-oriented approach.

What makes the Exoborne “tactical” as the trailer makes the game look frenetic?

Petter: In game trailers, the combat scenes often appear more intense than the actual gameplay. This is particularly true for our open-world PvP shooter, where the intensity varies from low to very high, contributing to the heightened risk and suspense in the open world. The tactical aspect of the game revolves around the decisions you make when encountering other players.

You constantly assess whether to engage, the approach to take, your loadout, weapon choice, and the use of verticality, flanking, and EXO abilities. Playing with a group introduces a variety of abilities, adding to the multitude of decisions. When we discuss tactical gameplay, it’s essentially about the impact of these decisions on combat, viewing it as a sequence of intriguing choices both before and during each fight in the game.

Founded in 2018, Sharkmob consists of developers from Tom Clancy’s The Division and Hitman. Their first game, Bloodhunt, a free-to-play battle royale in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, was released in 2022. Additionally, Sharkmob has a third game in development, with details to be revealed later.

So are you looking forward to Exoborne? Do you think this will be THE next shooter game? Let us know and check out the trailer below.